If you don't have the patience to view each link, you can view the theory entire in its three parts at: http://www.4815162342.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23991


1 comic
2 story
3 explanation

1
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/seventhP1iv.jpg
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/seventhP2iv.jpg


2a
A plague is devastating humanity.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/quarantine.jpg

The wealthy and the lucky are already huddled in the bleakest, coldest corners in the hope of avoiding infection.
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/wintery.jpg

One pocket of humanity survives on the remotest of islands: scientists from the Dharma Initiative; they are attempting to preserve human existence.
http://www.07968826871.com/LOSTWEB/dharmalogo.jpg


The island shares the same physical space as Manhattan - between 4th and 108th at least - but is superimposed like a shadow. The island and everything on it consists of particles and forces that can exist in our world without us knowing and vice versa, usually sharing only gravity and other weak forces; this is 'shadow matter'.

For the 'survivors', there is the island and the sea that surrounds it - if one sails, as Desmond did, far enough in one direction, one would eventually return to the island from the opposite direction. Desmond referred to it as a 'snowglobe', but there is no perimeter - no glass wall - no beginning or end.
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/stuckinabloodysnowglobe.jpg
>Desmond: "...stuck in a bloody snowglobe..."

The island did not always exist in this state or location - it had been on the opposite side of the world to Manhattan. Dharma Initiative experiments in Manhattan converted normal matter into shadow matter by manipulating its electromagnetic fields. The antipodean island, at Manhattan's polar opposite, became shadow matter and 'fell' through the earth. Where the island used to be: is now just ocean - except when there is an electromagnetic fluctuation on the island whereupon it becomes a portal - a gateway to the other side of the Earth - to the island world.

Flight 815 and its passengers passed through this gateway and became shadow matter. It fell through the Earth and crashed on the island/Manhattan, killing everybody on board. We never met any actual survivors of Flight 815.

The electromagnetism on the island is not naturally occurring - as suggested by Dr Marvin Candle in the Swan Orientation film - but is drawn from New York's grid, specifically: from Manhattan's substations. Sharing the same space as Manhattan, the various hatches can draw transient energy from Manhattan's huge artificially occurring electromagnetic fields - a by-product of the subway and the huge density of wires and currents that powers the 'Big Apple'. The Swan was set up to channel this leeched energy into a usable current - any excess energy to be dispersed safely by entering the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 every 108 minutes so as to avoid a build-up of power which would be detectable to the outside world: Brooklyn might black out. When Desmond failed to do this, in his flashback, there was a massive surge of built-up energy that opened the portal, pulling Flight 815 from the island's polar opposite in the Antipodes, through the Earth.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/4815162342onscreen.jpg
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/systemfailure.jpg
>September 22nd system failure and plane crash

The numbers correspond to the locations at which the excess energy can be safely dispersed in Manhattan so as to avoid detection. As planned, minor fluctuations in the island's field are disguised by Manhattan's much greater field, but the excess energy cannot be released in built-up areas as this would affect electrical devices and be noticed - if not by New Yorkers - then certainly by Penny's scientists.


http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/electromagneticanomaly.jpg

Thus the energy is dispersed throughout the island at locations corresponding to the following open spaces in our world:
Washington Square Park on 4th
Tompkins Square Park on 8th
Union Square Park on 15th
Stuyvesant Square Park on 16th
Madison Square Park on 23rd
Bryant Park on 42nd
and, in the event of the failsafe being triggered, as it was by Desmond in the finale: the energy is released in Central Park at 108th.
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/108.jpg

As the plane plummeted through the Earth, passed the centre, and was flung by its own momentum high above Manhattan only to come crashing back down, the memories of all on board were harvested and stored by the Dharma scientists on the island. The appearance of 'Adam and Eve' (as Locke named them) on the island - the two aged corpses Jack discovered - is a reference to the first ever Star Trek episode. In this episode, Captain Pike is imprisoned beneath ground by a telepathic alien race that has collected the memories of their prisoners, in order to recreate their particular environments so they will procreate happily. Captain Pike and a curvy blonde were the new 'Adam and Eve' - in their own words - and were encouraged to multiply. This was a missed opportunity for Captain Pike, but the point is: memories were recorded, stored, altered, and used to create new realities. [While Dharma did not deliberately crash the plane, it would be a further tragedy to waste solid memories; in the same way that we should all carry Donor Cards!]


http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/tos001.jpg
Flight 815's passengers' memories were stored on the island, analysed, and, years later, modified and implanted in the minds of about forty or so Dharma volunteers - who we know as Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, Claire, Charlie, Rose and all the others - including Locke who was not so much a volunteer as their leader: Alvar Hanso. The memories are periodically broadcast across the island directly into their minds to sustain the illusion that they are who they think they are. This is the root of some of the madness that has surrounded the broadcast - fragments of memories on the airwaves straight into people's heads in our world.

Henry Gale was an early attempt in this technique. Under interrogation, he said that he arrived on the island when his balloon crashed; he said he buried his wife. Whilst this story was proven to be false (by Sayid, Kate and Charlie finding the balloon crash-site, the real Henry Gale's id, and no wife) 'fake Henry' actually believed he was telling the truth! He remembers being in that balloon, crashing and burying his wife. To his mind, he was telling the truth. Of course, Henry also knew on some level that the memories had been implanted rather than lived (because someone had told him so), but, to him, they were no less real. The 'Others' have undergone the same process; whilst they are conscious of being test subjects, they also keenly remember lives they never actually lived.


http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/callmehenry.jpg
>Henry Gale: "Call me 'Henry'... I've gotten used to it."

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/henrygaleidcard.jpg
>the first Henry Gale

That Henry II is white and Henry I is black is testament to Dharma's customisation of the memories; Henry II's flashbacks would have him seeing a white face in the mirror - all memories that explicitly contradicted this deception were removed. All of the memories have been altered in some way, in order to keep the 'survivors' in line or to prepare them for the future. One example is Hurley's snowman joke: knowing the correct repsonse to the joke would identify Hurley as the person to succeed Desmond or Kelvin as button pusher; this joke was buried in his memory to be triggered by the right phrase. Other memories are plundered for visions to guide people more directly; for example, Eko's dead brother re-appearing in a 'dream' to guide him and Locke to the Pearl.

Implanting memories is not a perfect art. The memories have to be constantly broadcast to re-affirm the 'survivors'' adopted identities. And sometimes there is an awareness that surfaces. Two times we've seen Kate being strangled; on each occasion, the consciousness of a dead passenger rose to the surface as the host was weak and delirious.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/stranglingkate.jpg
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/whydidyoukillme2.jpg
>"Why did you kill me?"

On the first occasion it was the cop. On the second occasion it was Sawyer. He was murmuring things in a delirium; Kate thought it was the spirit of her real father who she had murdered. Sawyer suddenly started strangling her and said "Why did you kill me?" But it wasn't her father; it was the consciousness of someone trapped inside Sawyer's head; someone who had been on Flight 815. A bit like Being John Malkovich, but with an entire cast.

2b

The scientists' original memories are also suppressed, but can still influence and inform their behaviour. Things and people are often seem familiar. There's a fair bit of déjà vu. One example is Jack - after blowing the hatch open in Season 2 ep1, he is suddenly spooked and does not want to descend. He cites the impracticality of getting everybody down there, but this is not the real reason as noted by Locke and Kate.


http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/jackinthebox4.jpg
> wry smile on Locke's face as he questions Jack, detecting he is freaked. "Why don't you want to go down there, Jack?":

Later on, Locke reminds Jack that him meeting Desmond again - of all the people on Earth - would be impossible. But the truth is that Jack has spent years in the box as a Dharma scientist and hates the place. Literally, he was Jack in the box. This is further hinted at when Locke and Eko find the Pearl's surveillance monitors and see only Jack walking to and fro on the CCTV camera in the Swan hatch. This footage could be (but probably isn't) from years ago.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/pearlorientation2jack.jpg
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/jackinthebox.jpg
In fact, both seasons of Lost begin with a close-up of Jack's eye.

http://www.07968826871.com/LOSTWEB/jackeye5.jpg
>season 1 ep1, Jack's right eye

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/jackinthebox3.jpg
>season 2 ep1, Jack's left eye

In the intro of Season 2, we see a man get out of his hatch bunk and begin his monotonous routine again. Some of this is Jack but with longer hair.

Other memories are clearly best left buried, such as Sawyer's former music career before he got involved in the whole Dharma thing:

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/geronimo.jpg

Dharma's greatest purpose of taking dead people's memories and implanting them into other people is to extend life - indefinitely, with any luck...

Dharma researched many things on its island sanctuary. In this unique dimension, they created the 'black smoke' - metallic particles held in a field - its purpose, as Rousseau said, is security - to frighten people away from whatever it is guarding at the time. It taps into their deepest fears. When it came face to face with Eko, his memories can be seen flickering in the cloud.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ekosmoke.jpg

The island's unique environment consisting of shadow matter - superimposed on Manhattan - allowed the Dharma scientists to do things that would not be possible with a normal set of physical laws. As well as electricity passing both ways from Manhattan to the island, physical objects can partially exist in both worlds simultaneously. In the pilot episode, Rose recognises the sound of the 'monster'; Rose is from the Bronx. Later in the season, we learn that some of the monster noise heard from the beach that 'first' night was made by the black smoke - but not all of it. There is also the sound of the El - part of New York's rail network. In that moment when some of the train's mass exists in both dimensions, it is knocking down trees and screeching. Walt's surreptitious appearances, after being kidnapped, tapped into the same means of translocation: perhaps not via the subway, but at least taking a route in our world to pop up in the island world miles from his starting point; it's damp down there.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/waltappears.jpg
.....As a psychotic interlude: when Michael is trying to interest Walt in New York he talks about the Flatiron Building on 42nd Street; he says it was built in 1902 and inspired him. In 1902, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company converted the Manhattan Els from steam to electric - the kind of train Rose heard. "El" is Hebrew for "God" and appears in the Bible several times as part of phrases or larger names such as "Immanuel" meaning "God with us". "El" is also used in the same way in Watership Down for the mythological hero El-ahrairah - the rabbit "Lord with a Thousand Enemies". El-ahrairah meets the Black Rabbit of Inlè in the book - the rabbit equivalent of Death - and tries to bargain and gamble for the lives of his warren. In the same way, the Knight Antonius Block tries to defeat Death at chess to postpone Death from claiming his comrades, in the Ingmar Bergman film The Seventh Seal. More of The Seventh Seal later.....

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/watershipdown.jpg
>Sawyer reading Watership Down.

But the smoke, the monster and other things - like the sharks - are small fry compared to Dharma's greatest achievement: discovering Fate under a microscope.

http://www.07968826871.com/black_box_html/john_locke2.jpg
>John Locke - the philosopher

John Locke - the philosopher - said that Memory is Identity. Dharma proved this by implanting memories into people - and witnessed the change of identities.

For example, Professor Klugh was married with a son, working on humanity's survival in a parallel island world; the next moment after volunteering, he believed he was 'Michael', a New York artist, getting to know his estranged son 'Walt' on a bizarre and dangerous island after his ex-wife had died.

Dharma had learnt that identity was not the only thing that changed with new memories: there was also a biological change. Brains are maps of our memories; when the map changes, the brain changes, and so the body changes.

Normally, the nervous system deliberately inhibits re-growth of missing limbs because losing a limb is effectively a 'lesson learnt'. The blueprint for a toe is written in our DNA; but if the toe is severed, our bodies decline growing it back. This is because the brain and nervous system are programmed to take the safer option of healing a wound quickly rather than face the potentially fatal step of re-growing it, exposing itself to infection in the process. The re-grown toe could also be a liability if nerves grow back wired wrong: you may intend to wiggle your toe, but instead wiggle your entire leg and fall over. With a new identity - at the synapse level - the former inhibitions are no longer present. It would be possible to re-grow a toe or an arm by assuming a new identity, following the new blueprint.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/fourtoestatue.jpg
This is why, in the Swan Orientation film, Dr Marvin Candle looks old and has only one arm, but in the apparently more recent (even though both film and video have "1980 All Rights Reserved") Pearl Orientation video Dr Marvin Candle has already assumed the identity of Mark Whitman, looks younger and has both arms. This is also the significance of the four-toed foot statue; the pioneer of this technique cut off his own toe... had new memories installed and grew that toe back. He also took out his own eye, only to have it grow back; but the greatest gift he gave himself by assuming a new Identity was Faith. Alvar Hanso, the skeptic, became John Locke, man of Faith.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/marv.jpg
> Marvin Candle before - one arm

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/pearlnamaste.jpg
> Mark Whitman after - cheeky

The most important thing: Fate is determined by Identity. Dharma discovered that it is written in our DNA when we are born, when we fall in love, and when we die. It was predestined in the DNA of those people on the plane that they were going to crash and die at that moment. Their lives ended; their Fate expired them. But then their memories/identities/fates were adopted by people on the island! Kate, Jack, Sawyer and the rest are all now living past their expiry dates - there is no longer death for them, in the future. The passengers' sacrifice has fulfilled Fate; they paid the price for the 'survivors'.

Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are now exempt from death - the original Jack, Kate, and Sawyer have already died in their place. They have a clean slate - Tabula Rasa (the title and subject of an early episode).

2c

The Others - their former colleagues - observe them and maintain the whole project. The purpose is to preseve humanity - beyond the plague - by re-defining their memories, their identities, their fates. They are invisible to Death as they are considered dead already. As Henry put it: "God doesn't know how long we've been here, John. He can't see this island any better than the rest of the world can...".

In a conversation between Ana Lucia and Henry - when Ana had every intention of killing Henry - he said, "Goodwin... yes, he told us all about you, Ana. How he thought you were worthy and that he could CHANGE you... but he was wrong... and it cost him his life." Goodwin believed that the Ana-Lucia identity was worth keeping. Other identities have been judged to be not worth keeping - either because they would be destructive to the Dharma community or because they are useless; such people are taken away and restored to their former selves.

There are various clues as to this memory theft and implantation of the Dharma Initiative. One clue is Sawyer taking on the name of the man he intends to kill - and then slowly becoming just like him; that clue lasted an entire episode.

Another clue is Locke's father stealing his son's kidney (although did he really?) so he could live longer. And then, later, fakes his own death to avoid being killed; in his own words: "I killed myself off because there were two people out there who were gonna beat me to it.

Another clue is Hurley getting a new life by using - unforgiveably - somebody else's numbers on the lottery.

Also when Claire is about to give her baby away she asks the foster parents if they know the song 'Catch A Falling Star - "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket."

The best single clue is in Boone's death. Boone clambers up to the light aircraft, precariously balanced in vines on a cliff.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/boone2.jpg

There are dead bodies and Madonna statuettes filled with heroin. Boone throws them down to Locke in disgust.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/boone.jpg
>"Here's your sign!"

Each one of those drug-filled figurines is like a passenger on Flight 815. The drug for Dharma is the memory - the identity.

He then climbs over the corpses. He picks up the radio. Static - it's working.


http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/boone3.jpg
He speaks into it: "Mayday! We're the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 - please copy!"

A crackling voice responds "WE'RE the survivors of Flight 815!"

The voice was Bernard's, but the symbolism is there. The plane drops and Boone eventually dies of his injuries. Even as the passengers of Flight 815 were in the air, Dharma was already intending to become them. Dharma did indeed copy.

3

"Bergman is the only genius in cinema today." - Isaac, 'Manahattan' dir. Woody Allen, 1979.


The island being in Manhattan is amusing but peripheral to the big question of why? Why did these people arrive on the island? What is the purpose of it all? The purpose was to beat Death.

This section explains the source for this part of the theory.

I reckon The Seventh Seal has been an inspiration for some of Lost's themes, characters and plot. I'll try to juxtapose The Seventh Seal and Lost to show this. If true, The Seventh Seal could provide clues that can't be picked up by watching the show only.

The Seventh Seal is a film by INgmar BergMAN.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/Ingmar_bergman.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ingman.jpg
>Kelvin INMAN

The story goes:

In the beginning , our heroes - the knight and his squire wake up on a beach.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sssquiresleeps.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sshorsessea.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssblockthinks.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/wakeup.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/katehorse.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/jack-onback.jpg


It becomes apparent that they (the knight, at least) ought to be dead... as Death appears and tells him so.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssdeath.jpg

Antonius Block - the knight - postpones Death by challenging him to a game of chess. Death accepts the challenge - he loves chess.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssmybodyisnotmyself2.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sschesssea.jpg
http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sschessbegins.jpg
>Death picks black

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/backgammon.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/scientistschess.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/charliechessshoe.jpg

>Charlie's chequered chess 'horse' shoe.

The knight is not afraid of dying; it's just that his faith is troubled and he wants some kind of guarantee from God - that there is a life after this and there is meaning.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssblockprays.jpg

The knight and squire journey inland and discover that the Plague is abroad. "Death walks these shores" .

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssvictim.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/deadpeopleinwater.jpg


We are introduced to a travelling troupe of three actors who live and perform from a caravan. Two of them are married with baby - Mia and Jof.

Jof has visions. His first vision we see is of the Virgin Mary.


http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssvirginvision.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssvirginvision3.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssvirginvision5.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssvirginvision6.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/plane2.jpg

>Charlie's vision of the Virgin Mary (Claire) - always in blue - and [possibly] Elizabeth (Charlie's mum Megan).

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/clairevirginmary.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/clairevirginmary2.jpg
>Claire in blue

Jof also writes and plays his own songs. It's not exactly Driveshaft, but still.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssjofcharlie.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/cjarlieplaysguitar.jpg

>Charlie tries to find E flat.

On the way to town, the squire saves a damsel from a ravaging at the hands of Raval who is also stealing from the dead. Raval is the scoundrel who sent the knight and squire on their Crusade.

The squire says he will mark him as a thief if he sees him again.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssravalsteals2.jpg
>Raval

He does bump into him later in the tavern and cuts him about the eye:

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssravalscar.jpg

>The squire on left. Raval on the right.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssravalscar2.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssravalscarred.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/backgammon2.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/lockebweyes.jpg

>Alvar Hanso

RAVAL... ALVAR. 'Hanso' means 'his island' in Swedish. According to the theory, Alvar Hanso steals from the dead: their memories.


http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/acolytesadoration.jpg
>"He's a great man." - one acolyte's adoration - it will pass. There had been a time the squire followed Raval's wishes - even to The Crusades.

The squire enters a church and drinks with a mural painter. The mural is about the Plague:

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssmural2.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/lostmural.jpg

The knight, on his quest for faith, inadvertantly confesses his despair - and his chess strategy - to Death in church, thinking he was a priest....

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssdreamsimaginings.jpg

But when he realises this he becomes energised by his struggle.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sshand.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sshand3.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sshand4.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sshand5.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sshand6.jpg

This scene reflects the mood of the 'survivors' on the island - it's a 'last chance saloon' - they sense it's a deadly game, but they are in the moment. It's the opposite of Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquoy - it's life-affirming. If your blood is pumping you have hope; it's in the misty-eyed look Locke has occasionally.

Various things happen: Jonas and the blacksmith's wife get it on in the bush during an interval. Some self-flagellators pause with their actual-size crosses long enough to remind everybody that they are really going to die.

The knight senses that , although the end is coming, comfort can be taken from the present. In the scene below, he sits with the Squire and his damsel, and Mia and Jof. Sun breaks over the grassy clifftop. Jof plays his instrument. Mia hands round wild strawberries.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sswildstrawberries.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssmemory.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssmemory2.jpg

Yes - he will die. But he holds this memory in his hands and it is some comfort. Maybe memory is the antidote to death? Are we immortal if people remember us forever? Or is it more self-delusion: we live vicariously through other people's thoughts - only to avoid looking critically at ourselves and facing death? This is the premise of the theory: the Dharma scientists are living vicariously through other people's memories in a bid for immortality. But, in reality, they only distract themselves from Death not distract Death from themselves. It's a metaphor that can extend to television - it's a glittering distraction from death! Oh well.

While the relevance of this scene to Lost can easily be disputed; the importance to the film cannot be overstated: Bergman's next film was called 'Wild Strawberries' and dealt specifically with memory. In 'Wild Strawberries' an old man approaches the end of his life and involuntarily remembers all the pivotal moments in his life - a bit like the characters in Lost - even walking through some of them.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssmemory3.jpg

Death wipes the smile from Block's face shortly after by threatening his travelling companions. Death intends to claim them all; the knight is now playing chess for all of them.

They go through the woods. The blacksmith catches up with his slutty wife and Jonas the lover; the blacksmith intends to harm Jonas. Jonas does the old fake-knife-suicide-trick:

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssreality.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssreality2.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssreality3.jpg

He successfully tricks the smith; they move on, and then he removes his fake beard.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssfakebeardactor2.jpg

But Death takes him anyway - that was his last performance.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ourisland.jpg
>Fake Beard Man

We briefly meet Raval again. He dies.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssravalscar3.jpg

Death and the knight near the end of the game. The knight - in his last meaningful act - knocks the board over so as to create a distraction so that Jof and Mia can escape.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssdeathhimself.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssknockingover2.jpg

Mia and Jof escape.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssknockingover3.jpg

Death always remember! Death eventually claims the others.

Later, Jof - safe with Mia and their baby - sees Death at a distance leading them in a dance over the hills.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssdarkcountry.jpg

>le territoire foncé

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssjofseesthemdance.jpg

Great post! There've been more threads about books and movies having parallells with Lost, but this is one of the best I've seen yet.

The Seventh Seal Theory part 3 I take it there's a part one and two? I'll look into it.

I read further into your theory (also here: http://www.4815162342.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23991) and I must say: I'm really impressed. If anyone was ever close to unraveling it all, this could be very close.

Something does bother me, though. As I understand, the writers have ruled out the island is purgatory and your theory suggests it is (like) purgatory. Or am I missing the point here?

Dharma's greatest purpose of taking dead people's memories and implanting them into other people is to extend life - indefinitely, with any luck...

Yeah, that might also be why Sayid tells Ana Lucia that "he's allready dead". Of course you should see that in the right context (when Ana Lucia tied Sayid to a tree to keep him from attacking her, since she just shot poor Shannon), but I got the feeling there was more to his remark than at first glance.

This is by far one of the most creative theories I've ever read. You've put a lot of thought into it, and I love the illustrations.

The parallels to the film are uncanny and almost too glaring to dismiss as coincidence, and it plays into the Swedish connection of Hanso. Very nice job. Any thoughts on what type of plague devastated humanity (in the show)?

Andrew Smith
The knight senses that , although the end is coming, comfort can be taken from the present. In the scene below, he sits with the Squire and his damsel, and Mia and Jof. Sun breaks over the grassy clifftop. Jof plays his instrument. Mia hands round wild strawberries.

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_j...rawberries.jpg (http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/sswildstrawberries.jpg)

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssmemory.jpg

http://www.07968826871.com/seventh_jpegs/ssmemory2.jpg

Yes - he will die. But he holds this memory in his hands and it is some comfort. Maybe memory is the antidote to death? Are we immortal if people remember us forever? Or is it more self-delusion: we live vicariously through other people's thoughts - only to avoid looking critically at ourselves and facing death? This is the premise of the theory: the Dharma scientists are living vicariously through other people's memories in a bid for immortality. But, in reality, they only distract themselves from Death not distract Death from themselves. It's a metaphor that can extend to television - it's a glittering distraction from death! Oh well.

While the relevance of this scene to Lost can easily be disputed; the importance to the film cannot be overstated: Bergman's next film was called 'Wild Strawberries' and dealt specifically with memory. In 'Wild Strawberries' an old man approaches the end of his life and involuntarily remembers all the pivotal moments in his life - a bit like the characters in Lost - even walking through some of them.

LOVE IT. I quickly read your theory and Dominic/Charlies tattoo came to mind when I read this part. I realize it's a very loose connection, but I thought I'd throw it out there for you.

Charlie's shoulder tattoo reads "Living is easy with eyes closed". This is a lyric from the song "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles.
http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo/celeb-monaghan.htm


I just went to the other website and read all the comments so I won't be redundant.

"The Big Apple" ties in nicely with Adam and Eve

Is there any chance that a blackout in Brooklyn coincides with the date Sept 22?

I googled New York blackout + Sept 22, and came across the most interesting article which includes UFO's, Tesla, Niagara Falls, Ontario, magnetic fields, power plants,
http://www.niagarafallsreporter.com/ufo.html



The Others - their former colleagues - observe them and maintain the whole project. The purpose is to preseve humanity - beyond the plague - by re-defining their memories, their identities, their fates. They are invisible to Death as they are considered dead already. As Henry put it: "God doesn't know how long we've been here, John. He can't see this island any better than the rest of the world can...".

Ana and Sayid saying they are already dead. HG too?



Hurley's comment to Jack re transference, may fit into this theory

Sawyer being a member of Geronimo Jackson, and real memories resurfacing, can be tied into him singing Bob Marley's Redemption song on the raft.

Kates black horse shows up in the movie The Seventh Seal

The comment by the writers, "They are not the survivors they think they are", would also help your theory.

This has been pointed out already, but you haven't changed it in your post. His name is Kelvin Inman ... not Ingman.


I love a new theory that ties in the connections, so I'm off to reread the Missing Limbs thread and the one about Jack's not really a doctor etc.

re: het-genie:
Thanks!
It's not Purgatory - they are real people with beating hearts - but they have somebody else's memories written over their own. I think the personal journeys they are on are more to do with drama and drawing the characters than as an integral part of the how? and why? of the plot.

There are a few other instances of people saying they are - or should be - dead. Locke tells Jack that they should not have survived the crash, for instance; I think Henry says something similar, (but that might have been because he thought his own people were going to kill him). It's all rather morbid.

re: âme en peine:
Merçi!
I think the plague would be of a genetic variety - not necessarily infectious - but something written into all our DNA, like a deadline. The human race has run its course!

re: waltisfuture:
Ta.
Yeah - the Strawberry Fields thing crossed my mind also. However the word "strawberry" seems to be the only connection; the song is about a children's home in Liverpool of the same name.

I need to change "Ingman"

Thanks!
It's not Purgatory - they are real people with beating hearts - but they have somebody else's memories written over their own.

OK, I got it backwards, then. The people we see on the island are alive, but they live with other people's memories - the one's of the real passengers aboard flight 815, who all died.

This sheds new light on the Others (to name just one thing). They might be people who think stealing ones memory is unethical and want to stop the experiment. But since the Losties have no clue what they really are (crackpot scientists) they also have no idea why the Others are so hostile against them. As (among others) militant animal activists have proven, people protesting against controversial scientific practices can turn violent. Still, somehow I doubt the Others are merely protesters.

How do you fit them into your theory? This The Others - their former colleagues - observe them and maintain the whole project. doesn't really add-up, for me. I believe the Others are sabotaging the Dharma Initiative, not maintaining it.

I think the personal journeys they are on are more to do with drama and drawing the characters than as an integral part of the how? and why? of the plot.

Perhaps - but I don't think this is true for all the characters. Flashbacks - as a style figure in general - are not my favourite. At lot of times watching the show, during flashbacks, I catch myself thinking "yeah yeah, back to the island allready", but still I'm affraid I miss vital clues.

--- Added ---
That Henry II is white and Henry I is black is testament to Dharma's customisation of the memories; Henry II's flashbacks would have him seeing a white face in the mirror - all memories that explicitly contradicted this deception were removed.

Maybe that wasn't even neccessary. I don't think people think of themselves in that way. If real Henry was black and he looked in the mirror he didn't think "Hey, that's me, I'm a black man". He just thought "hey, it's me" or rather "I look handsome today" or "I need a haircut" etc etc etc. If Henry's memories are put into fake, white, Henry, he would put this memories in his own framework of his mind. That means, if fake Henry remembers his mother (which is actually real Henry's mother and therefore a black woman), he remembers his real mother (the mother of the person who received real Henry's memories), but she is placed in the context of real Henry's mother. What I'm trying to say is that the implanted memories are incorporated in the mindset of the receiver, so no alterations are needed - the brain makes it fit itself.

very well put together and some of the smaller details are well observed
lots of work in this
but imho,
i dont believe it for a minute.
the island superimposed on manhatten ?
that has to be the most far-fetched thing ive heard
except maybe 'its all in the dogs head'
well worth reading though, and i havent seen the film so i may be missing something.

You almost lost me with the whole dark matter thing I feel like that is the most unbelievable part of the concept you are presenting. I like your ideas and this is a very well thought out and constructed theory. As has been said before with these types of things try explaining that one to your average Joe and he tunes out right after fused with manhattan or before fell through the earth. Not so good for the show if his mother doesn't go out and buy some clorox afterwards.

Connections? Maybe. Did this movie generate some creative inspiration for our story? That would seem to be a possibility with the evidence you have gathered.

I may not believe this is the answer we are looking for but it was a heck of a read and a few times you had me saying "hey maybe that's it." In all honesty with one of these theories that's really all you can hope for at this point. Well done!



edit to add those things that make text easier to read paragraphs.

Andrew, lovin' the Seventh Seal angle (esp. the chess and black horse) but not really buying the Manhattan groove. Is it just the streets, or do you see some further connection?

PS: You might want to check out mirror matter (http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=46622) -- could be a plausible scientific candidate for your shadow matter.

PPS: Just read a spoiler that Smokie's noise is, in fact, the sound of a receipt printing in an NYC taxi!

I agree, the shadow world part isn't the strongest point of this theory (it does have merits - justs not as much as other parts of it). I especially like the memory-swapping idea.

At the end of season one, you could see an easter egg (in fact, you still can) on http://www.oceanic-air.com/seatingchart.htm in which was revealed "They are NOT the survivors they thought they were". This was a teaser for the second season, so at first I thought the sentence pointed to the Tailies, but that doesn't add up. Then, they would still be the survivors they thought they were - there were just more survivors than they first thought of.

Anyway, I forgot about the line, but it perfectly fits with this theory. Note also that in the first part of the easter egg (if you haven't seen it yet go to http://www.oceanic-air.com/seatingchart.htm and click the numbers (oh you know which ;) ) and a video will be shown) the words "They are NOT the survivors" are visible, with the emphasis on "not". "They are not the survivors" - are they dead? No. They didn't survive the crash, others did. "They are not the survivors they thought they were" - So they think they survived a plane crash, but they didn't crash at all and they are not who they think they are.

I'm not sure Lost is a (loose) adaption of the Bergman film - but I think it did inspire the makers of Lost.

re: het-genie
I think the Others are maintaining the whole project. If they wanted to stop the whole project, they could - Ethan, on his own, seemed to be able to kill people at will.

[As an aside: I don't think Ethan ever killed or attempted to kill anybody. I think Steve/Scott was killed by something else, and Charlie hanged himself, which is the main reason he shot Ethan - to hide this shameful secret].

Goodwin's list of who was "good" or "bad" attests to this: if they wanted to stop the project, they would not bother judging the Losties (via Ethan, Goodwin and Henry), making lists, and periodically abducting them. They are refining the project.

You may be right about the mind adjusting to memories and compensating for discrepancies. Although, I would say that skin colour inevitably affects life beyond internal memories - how different people treat you, for instance. At some point, memories would actually have to be altered or deleted.


re: andylekker:
It's all in the dog's head? Of course! That's it! Vincent... Vincent Van Gogh... the asylum... Starry Starry Night... his ear, the toe, Dr. Candle's arm! Where's my Indian ink?


re: porkinz:
It ain't Dark Matter - it's "shadow matter". Dark Matter is [theoretically] everywhere in all the universe[s] and is essential; "shadow matter" is normal matter converted to a different frequency - as it were - so it doesn't bump into normal matter - like a different dimension but in the same space. Basically, it's all made up.

Written in long-hand it is complex; in TV format it would appear simpler. TV audiences tolerated Star Trek The Next Generation's pseudoscience for years: "Aye, Captain, it's an organic tachyon particle entity!" "Right, in that case, throw a bucket of water on it. Engage!"


re: bigmouth:
I do see other connections to NY. Apollo is a famous cinema there, for example. As for your spolier: last time I was in a NY taxi Yo-yo Ma told me to fasten my seat belt - as yet, this has not been heard in Lost.

I think the Others are maintaining the whole project. If they wanted to stop the whole project, they could - Ethan, on his own, seemed to be able to kill people at will.

[As an aside: I don't think Ethan ever killed or attempted to kill anybody. I think Steve/Scott was killed by something else, and Charlie hanged himself, which is the main reason he shot Ethan - to hide this shameful secret].

You're right -- we can only assume Charlie was hanged by Ethan, but why would Charlie hang himself? Furthermore, I believe that Charlie killed Ethan out of revenge -- he wanted to protect poor Claire and that was genuine. But, there's little evidence to support either of our ideas -- we just haven't seen what really happened. Charlie hanging himself never crossed my mind until now, but it can't be ruled out.

Goodwin's list of who was "good" or "bad" attests to this: if they wanted to stop the project, they would not bother judging the Losties (via Ethan, Goodwin and Henry), making lists, and periodically abducting them. They are refining the project.

Ok, allow me to make this leap: the Others are earlier test subjects whose memories have been overwritten by those of others. They aren't sabotaging, but they're trying to take controll of the island in the hope they can restore themselves: they have found out they're not who they think they are (sounds familiar? :) ) That could be "the disease", but let's not dwell on that.

You may be right about the mind adjusting to memories and compensating for discrepancies. Although, I would say that skin colour inevitably affects life beyond internal memories - how different people treat you, for instance.

Sadly, you're right.

At some point, memories would actually have to be altered or deleted.

That's probably why noone remembers the plane crash, except for Kate, but I'm not sure she's telling the truth.

It ain't Dark Matter - it's "shadow matter". Dark Matter is [theoretically] everywhere in all the universe[s] and is essential; "shadow matter" is normal matter converted to a different frequency - as it were - so it doesn't bump into normal matter - like a different dimension but in the same space. Basically, it's all made up.
Andrew: Again, check out mirror matter -- so close to what you're describing and not necessarily all made up.
I do see other connections to NY. Apollo is a famous cinema there, for example.
Interesting but this New Yorker still ain't buying it -- yet. Also, how do you explain the numbers in their lives off the Island?
As for your spolier: last time I was in a NY taxi Yo-yo Ma told me to fasten my seat belt - as yet, this has not been heard in Lost.
Are you sure? I could swear that's what walt was saying to shannon!

PS: I also note that Central Park has a Strawberry Fields, where living is supposedly easy with eyes closed. Unfortuately, it's at 72nd...

re: porkinz:
It ain't Dark Matter - it's "shadow matter". Dark Matter is [theoretically] everywhere in all the universe[s] and is essential; "shadow matter" is normal matter converted to a different frequency - as it were - so it doesn't bump into normal matter - like a different dimension but in the same space. Basically, it's all made up.



Riiiiiiight now it all makes sense. Wow Shadow matter sheesh can't believe I didn't read that correctly. Of course it couldn't be Dark matter it would HAVE to be shadow...That makes all the difference in the world.

.....errrr... nope still the same to me.

Shadow, Dark, Anti, Schmanti, whatever matter there is no way they would go there with this show it isn't star trek. I can see the headlines now.

"The only thing LOST is the audience." waaa-waaaaa.....

But like I said there are some things in there I do like.

The Manhattan thing made me think of Dr.Manhattan, there's more than a few Watchmen references in LOST too...

Things have their shape in time, not space alone. Some marble blocks have statues within them, embedded in their future

I love the Seventh Seal connection you've got going here. It is one of my favorite movies ever, and the Criterion Collection DVD is definately worth the asking price.

re: het-genie:
Thanks!
re: âme en peine:
Merçi!
I think the plague would be of a genetic variety - not necessarily infectious - but something written into all our DNA, like a deadline. The human race has run its course!
Interesting. Both Jack and Christian worked at St. Sebastian hospital. St. Sebastian is the patron saint and protector of plagues.

Thought I would contribute some of my thoughts on this very interesting theory.

A few other things that fit nicely into this theory:

-Injuries being “mysteriously” healed could be because the guinea pig scientists’ bodies that were implanted with the memories from the people on Flight 815 were healthy to begin with. I know you explain the injuries healing due to regeneration but this seems like a much simpler explanation.

-The “they are not the survivors they think they are” quote would have all kinds of meanings in that they are not actually the survivors they think they are, they survived a whole different disaster than they think they did, their old bodies actually “died” in the disaster they think they survived


Some things that I don’t think that are tied in well enough yet or maybe don’t fit

-If the point of the experiment is to save humanity from a disease why do they have their former colleagues/friends doing weird experiments pressing a button? Why keep scaring them? For that matter how does the button and Swan hatch fit in at all?

-How do Desmond, Rousseau, real Henry Gale and the plane with Eko’s brother fit into what they are doing? Are Desmond and Rousseau prior “experiments” in memory implantation? Were the others just accidental island crashers?

-The NYC/island link lost me for a bit but it is growing on me. I don’t see why the parks would really be significant though. Sure the streets match up nicely with the numbers but what significance would a park have to do with the island, the work going on there or the explanation of how the island is hidden using power from NYC? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to have chosen the streets that power plants are on? I do love the part about the El train being the noise they heard in the jungle and tearing up trees though.

-If the rest of the world is dealing with a massive plague would anyone (whoever the Portuguese guys playing chess are working for) really be concerned with finding a mysterious island? Possibly the plague is an upcoming event that the scientists on the island are trying to be proactive in preparing for which would mean most other people were unaware of the plague/disaster (or they are and think the scientist trying to save humanity know something that could benefit them)? This might be able to incorporate some of the theories about precession and preparing for a disaster that interpreting the Mayan calendar ending on 2012 led them to…

-Most troubling to me though is that all these past stories that have seemed so important and were woven together so interestingly become insignificant. How would you explain the connections that so many characters have? Creations of the scientists’ old memories to explain the deja vous they experience from actually knowing the people that are in these strangers’ bodies…

re: bigmouth:
Strawberry Fields in Central Park? - that's good - doesn't matter if it's at 72nd, let's not split hairs. I think everything in the show could be stretched to fit in with Manhattan - it's a big city after all. What the show needs is a 'little Italian', a musical, and maybe a big gorilla on top of something.


re: porkinz:
Schmanti-matter is for the next theory. Matter composed entirely of sarcasm.


re: Richardstone:
...and Hanso as Ozymandias?


re: âme en peine:
That's interesting. St. Sebastian is also a gay icon - wasn't there a theory that Jack was gay? Maybe that's what Jack was trying to communicate to Kate on the end of the pier when they on their knees at gunpoint; if it was, she appears to have already known; although Sawyer didn't look too happy about it.

re: âme en peine:
That's interesting. St. Sebastian is also a gay icon - wasn't there a theory that Jack was gay? Maybe that's what Jack was trying to communicate to Kate on the end of the pier when they on their knees at gunpoint; if it was, she appears to have already known; although Sawyer didn't look too happy about it. I've never heard that rumour/theory Andrew! I thought the look meant "I love you and have a plan to get us out of this mess." Sawyer had the same look he always does... when a tree frogs bothering him...when he's making love to Ana Lucia... When he says "at least we get to kill someone".... Hard to decipher which pissed off look that was... lol
100%
re: bigmouth:
Strawberry Fields in Central Park? - that's good - doesn't matter if it's at 72nd, let's not split hairs. I think everything in the show could be stretched to fit in with Manhattan - it's a big city after all. What the show needs is a 'little Italian', a musical, and maybe a big gorilla on top of something.
And some street vendors selling those huge hot pretzels...Mmmmmm... :biggrin:

re: jcohen:

"-If the point of the experiment is to save humanity from a disease why do they have their former colleagues/friends doing weird experiments pressing a button? Why keep scaring them? For that matter how does the button and Swan hatch fit in at all?"

The purpose of the Swan hatch is to channel power from Manhattan and to release excess power back into Manhattan at the appointed locations in Manhattan's parks - on 4th, 8th, 15th, 16th, 23rd, and 42nd streets - and, if the failsafe is triggered: in Central Park at 108th street.

"-How do Desmond, Rousseau, real Henry Gale and the plane with Eko’s brother fit into what they are doing? Are Desmond and Rousseau prior “experiments” in memory implantation? Were the others just accidental island crashers?"

The first Henry Gale died - or was murdered - after his balloon crash-landed on the island; the second Henry Gale inherited his memories - with some changes - such as: burying his wife (which was actually the first Henry).

I suspect Desmond is the original Desmond - partly because there's a photo of him with Penny in Sydney that Penny has in the 'real world' - but it could go either way.

I suspect Rousseau is a former Dharma scientist with new memories as her colleagues fell 'sick' and she killed them; the 'sickness' here was probably that they were beginning to realise they weren't who they thought they were; Rousseau couldn't handle it and killed them. A failed early experiment with memory implantation.

Eko's brother, and the plane he was in were pulled out of the sky just like Flight 815 - from across the world. His memory - as are all the others - are stored somewhere on the island.

The Others are the original Dharma scientists - some have been experimented on - but all of them are aware of this. Some have ties to the Losties - husbands, wives, children, pets, friends.


"-The NYC/island link lost me for a bit but it is growing on me. I don’t see why the parks would really be significant though."

The parks are lovely open spaces where excess electromagnetism can be released without affecting the environment so much - lights flickering etc - that people would start noticing and do something about it. In the season finale, the Portugese scientists notice.

"-If the rest of the world is dealing with a massive plague would anyone (whoever the Portuguese guys playing chess are working for) really be concerned with finding a mysterious island? Possibly the plague is an upcoming event that the scientists on the island are trying to be proactive in preparing for which would mean most other people were unaware of the plague/disaster (or they are and think the scientist trying to save humanity know something that could benefit them)? This might be able to incorporate some of the theories about precession and preparing for a disaster that interpreting the Mayan calendar ending on 2012 led them to…"

Maybe. But Michael looked like he was getting sick before he left.

"-Most troubling to me though is that all these past stories that have seemed so important and were woven together so interestingly become insignificant. How would you explain the connections that so many characters have?"

The back-stories are of ABSOLUTE significance. These are essentially the people we are watching and will determine how the whole story plays out. Can they overcome who they are to do what's right? Remember Jack's dad in the bar "I could pick up the phone and tell him I love him... but I can't because I'm weak." - can they actually change?

'Jack' himself may have been gay once; was implanted with a straight man's memories; but is now battling with his sexuality as his original self emerges. Kate - and Jack - only realise this when she kisses him. If Kate kisses you and nothing happens: you're either dead or gay.

They also give clues to the present mystery of the island. Some connections are artificial - created after the event - to create a sense of destiny in the 'survivors'' minds, others were manufactured before the event to guide those people onto the plane, others are destiny.

re: Richardstone:
...and Hanso as Ozymandias?

Pretty much...

The Pearl station reminded me of the big bank of TV's that Ozymadias used to monitor world affairs and tailor his buying, selling and scheming accordingly...

Ozymandias: Hm. Let me see... First Impressions: Oiled Muscleman with machine gun...cut to pastel bears, valentine hearts. Juxtaposition of wish fulfilment violence and infantile imagery, desire to regress be free of responsibility...This all says "War." We should buy accordingly

Servant: But... Sir, we have never bought into munitions...

Ozymandias: Of Course not. You're ignoring the subtext: Increased sexual imagery, even in the candy ads. It implies an erotic undercurrent not uncommon in times of war. Remember the baby boom...

Servant: So, should we buy into...uh?

Ozymandias: Into the major erotic video companies. That's short term. Also we should negotiate controlling shares in selected baby food and maternity goods manufacturers.

It interests me, that what we see could be controlled in such a way as to influence our behaviour and that there could plausibly be some sort of themed agenda behind what programmes/films/advertisments get shown, and when. Ozymandias adjusts the advertising slogans and campaigns of his own products to reflect his plan. I suppose such things could have been done in Lost world, increased adverts for Autralian Walkabouts in Locke's area, more adverts to influence Hurley to buy the lottery ticket, etc.

andrew, thanks for the reply. i think you tied most of what i asked into your theory well, especially the parks. i am still not sure about the swan hatch though.

if it is in fact what is allowing the island to sap power from mahattan why would they entrust the button pushing to the losties? if not pressing the button has not revealed the island and it's link to manhattan then why did it ever need to be pushed instead of just activating the failsafe?

also if you think michael is already showing signs of the sickness then wouldn't that mean the island experiment is failing? if the island was created to preserve humanity from a plague why is he getting sick and why wouldn't everyone be at risk?

re: Richardstone:
Totally. Although, Ozymandias might need only one monitor to gauge the agenda of the world's movers and shakers these days - tuned to Fox News!

I heard somewhere that the appearance of Superman on the big screen signifies the dominance of conservatism in USA - as he is a figure that protects everybody from the unknown 'terror', doesn't really engage any moral debate - especially about the ethics of intervention, and takes drastic pre-emptive action based on the flimsy journalistic intel of a two-bit rag. Last time he streaked across a big screen was in Reagan's era during his "war on terror"!

As opposed to the blue chap in Watchmen who buggered off to another planet.


re: jcohen748:
Pressing the buttons discretely releases the excess energy back into Manhattan via its parks, at those specific locations mentioned; when the buttons are not pressed, the energy just keeps on building up and forks start hitting the fan, leading eventually to the whole island world caving in, sucked back to that point in the hatch (because the energy from Manhattan not only powers the washer-dryer but maintains the island world dimension).

The failsafe is used as an emergency last resort to release the energy: as quickly as possible. When this happened in the finale, the release of energy was so violent and big - it got noticed.

But there is a second failsafe: the Losties. If there is no human there to push the button, the dimension collapses and the Dharma Initiative ends - it was purposely built this way. There has to be a willing human there to keep the island going. If it was automated, the island might endure forever - but this is bad: if the automation had the buttons automatically re-set at 108 minutes with a tiny fraction of error, this tiny error would accumulate so that in a few years time, the energy might have built up to such a degree that it starts pulling in planes, buildings, countries from our world OR - conversely - the island world doesn't have enough energy to sustain itself and it just ends - even though there may be people living on it. In the worst-case scenario - the hatch sucking our world in - there has to be a Homer there to flick the failsafe.

If there are no people on the island, the island should not be allowed to continue to exist - it is too risky... so it is set up to require human interaction in order to continue to exist.

Yes - Michael's sickness indicates the experiment is failing - at least with him.

Sorry for the long-winded response - I had to think it through to get it straight for myself.

Love this thread Andrew. Got a few Q's for you, and statements.

Have you thought of getting a map of NYC and overlapping the blast door map to see if it ACTUALLY fits? Think of central park as the center. Are the parks you mentioned placed around central park like the Hatches are around the anomaly? That would be frigging extreme, and add weight to where you think the Island really is!

Ok, questions.

1 Has this "plague" reached the outside world? I mean the one we see Pen and the researchers in the S2 final? Things looked "normal" to me.

2 Could this "sickness" be a psychic sickness, transmitted through the newly implanted or modified "memories" of our Lostees, as hinted in the comic book Green Lantern and Flash, Fast Friends Pt 2? (Not the Walt comic, but part 2 of it)

3 What's your take on the Dharma Psychology Video Test 1 of 1? Have you seen the stills? If not, I'll post a link for you to see. Clearly shows a pregnant, limbless female torso with tubes coming in and out of her stomach, amongst other things. Volcanoes (One on the Island and the other simultaneously 1 mile out at sea) and yes, ufo's.

4 What would you think if you knew for a fact that Lost was indeed 100% sci/fi?

Thanks Andrew. I'll keep it at these and see what you have to say. Namaste, Eric Gunn.

3 What's your take on the Dharma Psychology Video Test 1 of 1? Have you seen the stills? If not, I'll post a link for you to see. Clearly shows a pregnant, limbless female torso with tubes coming in and out of her stomach, amongst other things. Volcanoes (One on the Island and the other simultaneously 1 mile out at sea) and yes, ufo's

Are you sure about the UFO's and pregnant limbless torso?

There's definitely a few frames that I can't make out in here, I could'nt say it clearly shows those things though...

http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/List_of_images_in_Psychology_Test_Orientation_Vide o

Certainly a lot of crazy stuff in there, and a few unknowns too, here's the best set of stills I could find, it's a big image though but I can cut it up to get individual stills if need be...

http://antiuser.org/dharma/dharma_orientation_stills.jpg

ETA:- Hey, it still works...

http://www.thehansofoundation.org/orientation_testing_issue_1980/

:cool:

Are you sure about the UFO's and pregnant limbless torso?


Oh yeah I'm sure. I posted a thread called Proof on Dharma Emperiments based on the video stills. Here's the Link to the thread. http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/showthread.php?t=54157&highlight=ericgunn

But first, for the Ufo's and Torso.

Using the link here, http://kinureve.free.fr/indice/allpsycho/pages/psycho1_06.html, check out pic 96 for the pregnant female torso ,and pics 54 and 92(Just above the Island volcano) for the Ufo's.
Just for the fun of it, check out pics 25 & 67...Namaste, Eric Gunn.